Fuel conxkol valve



Jan. 19, 1937. F, MUSTEE 7 2,068,429

FUEL CONTROL VALVE Filed March 20, 1934 if il /11 1154,;

3/25 57 If g 24 2422 H54 J/ws/vraz JOSEPH F Mus TEE Patented Jan. 19,1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUEL CONTROL VALVE Joseph F. Mustee,University Heights, Ohio Application March 20, 1934, Serial No. 716,493

1 Claim.

This invention relates to ag fuel-burning apparatus and moreparticularly to an automatic shut-off of the main supply to the mainburner in the event the flame of the pilot burner becomes extinguishedfrom any cause whatsoever.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shut-off device ofthis character which can be employed with the various types offuel-burning apparatus now available and usually equipped with automaticcontrols, without interfering with their operation, thereby increasingthe efiiciency and safety of such apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanically operatingdevice for controlling the actuation of a valve disposed in the mainsupply line, whereby upon extinguishment of the flame of the pilotburner said valve is closed thereby cutting ofi the flow of fuel to themain burner as well as to the pilot burner.

A still further object of the invention resides in employing the flameof the pilot burner as the controlling means for maintaining the valvein the main supply line in open position to thereby permit the flow offuel to the main burner.

5 With the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafterexplained in View, my invention consists in the construction andcombination of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

. Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a device embodying thepresent invention, showing the valve in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

'35 Fig. 3 is an end elevational View looking towards the right in Fig.1, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View partially in section and showing theopen position of the valve.

In the drawing a control apparatus embodying .40 the present inventionis illustrated which is adapted for installation upon various types offuel-burning apparatus embodying a pilot burner in which no provision isordinarily made to cut off the fuel supply to the main burner in the Ievent of the extinguishment of the flame of the pilot burner.Considerable danger arises in connection with fuel-burning apparatuswhere no provision is made to cut off the flow of fuel to the .mainburner in the event of the flame of the pilot burner becomingextinguished from any cause whatsoever and the present deviceefliciently takes care of this condition in a positive and inexpensivemanner.

The preferred construction of the device is 5.5 shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing, wherein H] indicates a valve body having screw-threadedopenings to receive an inlet pipe H connected to any suitable source offuel supply, and an outlet pipe l2 connected to a main burner l3 in theusual manner and also connected to a pipe l4 adapted 5 to supply fuel toa pilot burner l5 located in the well known manner in proximity to themain burner l3.

The valve body II] has a wall or partition l6 formed integral therewithwhich is provided with 1 a tapered opening forming a valve seat I'lthrough which the fuel is adapted to pass. A movable valve member I8having a tapered peripheral portion is adapted to engage the valve seatI! to thereby control the flow of fuel through the valve 15 body. Thevalve member ID has an axial extension !9 which is reciprocally mountedin a bore 22 provided in an axial extension 2| formed integral with ascrew-threaded plug 22. The valve body I0 has a hollow extension 23interiorly screw-threaded with which the plug 22 is engageable. Theextension 2| is provided with aligned slots 24 within which the oppositeends of a pin 25 secured to the extension l9 are disposed, theextremities of the slots limiting the 25 reciprocable movement of themovable valve member l8. A coil spring 26 encircles the extensions l9and 2| and has its opposite ends abutting the movable valve member I8and the inner end of the plug 22 respectively, so as to 0 maintain saidvalve member l8 normally in engagement with the valve seat 11 to therebyprevent the fiow of fuel through the valve body ID to the burners.

Axially of the valve member [8 the valve body 35 I0 is provided with ascrew-threaded opening 21 and a hollow extension 28 formed integraltherewith. An exteriorly screw-threaded plug 29 is adapted to cooperatewith the screw-threaded opening 21 and is provided with a laterally ex-40 tending flange or collar 30 about midway thereof by which the plugmay be turned. A look nut 3! is mounted upon the plug 29 and is adaptedto be securely turned into engagement with the end of the hollowextension 28, so as to securely 5 look the plug in any desired position.A packing member 32 of suitable material is disposed within the hollowextension 28 and encircles the plug 29, while a coiled spring 33 islikewise disposed within the hollow extension 28 encircling the plug 29and has its opposite ends bearing against the lock nut 3| and thepacking 32, so as to constantly exert a pressure upon the packing toinsure a fluid-tight joint between the plug and the screwthreadedopening 21.

The plug 29 has an axial opening 34 in one end thereof whichcommunicates with an axial bore 35 of larger diameter at the oppositeend thereof. A tubular member 36 preferably of material which may bereadily bent, such as copper, has one of its ends disposed in the bore35 and slidably mounted on the tubular member 36 is an interiorlyscrew-threaded nut 37 adapted to engage the adjacent screw-threaded endof the plug 29, a suitable packing 38 being provided between the end ofthe plug and the nut 31, so as to securely clamp the tubular member 36against accidental disengagement. V

A so-called housing 39 is provided with Wings 40 having openings M bywhich the housing may be attached to a portion of the fuel-burningapparatus, preferably adjacent the burner l3, as more clearly shown inFig. 2. This housing has an opening 42 through which the end of thepilot burner 45 may be inserted. The housing also is provided with anexteriorly screw-threaded extension 43 having an axial opening 44 atone. end communicating with an axial bore 45 of larger diameter at theother end thereof. The opposite end of the tubular member 35 is disposedwithin the bore 45 and slidably mounted upon the tubular member is aninteriorly screwthreaded nut 46 which is adapted to engage thescrew-threaded end of the extension 43. A suitable packing 4! ispositioned between the end of the extension 43 and the nut 45, so as tosecure the end of the tubular member 38 against accidentaldisengagement.

A heat reactive member in the formof a bimetallic thermostat 48is bentat one end to provide a lateral flange 49 having an opening therein andis secured to the upper end portion of the housing 2.5 by means of abolt and nut connection 55' The heat reactive member 48 has a portionpositioned in proximity to the end of the pilot burner 15 so that aportion of the flame of the pilot burner impinges upon this member. Whenthe pilot flame is lit this heat reactive member 48 has a tendency tomove towards the end of the pilot burner l5, while upon extinguishmentof the flame of the pilot burner the heat reactive member has a tendencyto move away from the end of the pilot burner 15. It is the movement ofthis member 48 in one direction or the other, depending upon whether theflame of the pilot burner is extinguished or not, that controls theoperation of the movable valve member l8 to maintain the valve member inopen or closed position so as to permit or prevent the flow of fuel tothe main burner l3 and pilot burner 15.

A rod 5! is slidably mounted in the opening 44 of the extension 43 andhas its outer end screwthreaded at 52 and extends through an opening inthe lower portion of the member 48. A nut 53 engages the projectingscrew-threaded end of the rod to maintain the end of the rod and the endof the heat reactive member in assembled relation. A similar rod 54 isslidably mounted in the opening 34 provided in the plug 29 and has itsouter end screw-threaded at 55 to receive a nut 56. A helical spring 5?encircles the free end of the rod 54 and has one of its ends inengagement with the nut 5'6, while the opposite end engages the adjacentend of the plug 29. This spring 5'! tends to normally urge the nut 55toward the movable valve member l8, so that upon movement of the heatreactive member 48 toward-the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, the nut 56 Awill be positively moved into engagement with the movable valve member 18 to remove the latter from the valve seat IT, as shown more clearly inFig. 4. The adjacent ends of the rods 5| and. 54 are provided withtransverse openings through which are looped the opposite ends of a wire58 which secures the rods in assembled relation for movement as aunitary member. This may be termed a composite or sectional member andthe primary purpose is to produce a mechanically actuated member whichwill be certain to operate irrespective of the shape in which thetubular member 36 may be bent to adapt the device for diiferentconditions of attachment.

In the operation of the device the valve body ID is connected in themain fuel supply line between the source of fuel and the main burner l3and pilot burner l5, preferably ahead of all other automaticinstrumentalities, such as room temperature controls, etc. When theflame of the pilot burner I5 is extinguished the parts assume arelationship as shown in Fig. 1, in which the main control valve 18 ismaintained upon the valve seat IT, so as to prevent the flow of fuel tothe main burner l3 and pilot burner l5. However, when the-flame of thepilot burner is burning it impinges upon the heat reactive member 43causing the same to contract or to move in a direction toward the end ofthe pilot burner I 5, as shown in Fig. 1. Upon this movement thepressure of the end of the rod 5| to which the heat reactive member isconnected is released and the spring 51, exerting a pressure upon thenut 56, causes the latter to move into engagement with the movable valvemember 18, as shown in Fig. 4, removing the latter from the valve seatI! and thereby permitting the flow of fuel through the valve lfl to themain burner 13 and pilot burner l5. So long as the flame of the pilotburner continues to burn the movable valve member I8 is maintained outof engagement with the valve seat I! or in open position and fuel ispermitted to flow through the valve body I0. It will at once beobserved, therefore, that this control device does not in any mannerwhatsoever interfere with the other automatic control devices embodiedin a fuelburning system of this character. In other words the flow ofthe fuel'to the main burner I3 may still be controlled through the roomthermostat, boiler pressure regulator or what not, the operation ofwhich is not in any manner dependent upon the operation of the pilotburner l5. It is only when the flame of the pilot burner has becomeextinguished that this control device is brought into operation to cutoff the flow of fuel from the source to the main burner l3 and pilotburner l5. While only a single main burner and pilot burner have hereinbeen referred to, it is to be understood, of course, that the inventionis applicable to a plurality of such burners.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it isto be understood that I am not to be limited thereto, inasmuch aschanges and modifications may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the inven tion or the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: In a device of thecharacter referred to, the combination of a burner, a fuel supply lineconnected to said burner, a valve in said fuel supply line, said'valvecomprising a valve body and a movable member positioned therein adaptedto control the flow of fuel therethrough, a spring within said valvebody continuously urging 76 tioned in proximity to the plane of saidburner having means to hold said second spring in inoperative positionwhen said thermostat is cold, said means comprising a flexible memberfor operatively connecting said second spring and 5 said thermostat.

JOSEPH F. MUSTEE.

